Compassionate eating: The thoughts of a life-long vegetarian

I was brought into this world as a vegetarian. No meat, no suffering.

Why veggie?

My mum turned vegetarian when she was just a teen, she couldn't bear the thought of a pig being cruelly raised and slaughtered for her consumption. She has never looked back. Not suprisingly, when my sister and I came into the picture we too were vegetarians. At first we ate fish, and so could be classified as pescetarian, but after watching a dramatic TV programme my mum realised fish suffered just like that of any other animal, so that too was gone from our diet.

Many people say this diet was forced upon me. But surely being brought up as a meat eater, you are having meat forced upon you? Being forced into a meat eating diet? When I was old enough to make my own decision I could have chosen to eat meat, but I will eternally thank my mum for raising me as a vegetarian and educating me on the reality behind a burger.

People choose a vegetarian lifestyle for many reasons, it can be for health or the environment, but for me it was for compassion. I cannot bear the hurt and suffering that lies behind the meat trade. I have grown up to understand that humans and animals suffer alike. They feel pain just the way I do. They may not be able to form words to tell us, but it is real. Many farms now recognise this, and standards have seriously changed, free range pig farms and cows grazing in huge meadows, but the end result is still the same. Slaughtered after only experiencing a fraction of life. Even though our views of factory farming are changing, the reality is the suffering still occurs.

Respecting opinions

Whilst I have my own views and expect people to respect them, I in turn will still respect the opinions of others. If they eat meat, that is their own choice, but I expect them to understand where that meat came from. If you know that animal has been produced and slaughtered for your satisfaction, at least you understand, and I respect your own choice.

It is those that are ignorant that send me into a frenzy. They happily tuck into a ham sandwich, but then turn a blind eye to what lies behind it. They try to ignore the fact that the piece of flesh they are eating once had a beating heart, could feel pain and could suffer just like you or I. I believe anyone that eats meat should be capable of slaughtering an animal, and should experience first hand what happens. If you cannot face it, if you cannot even watch the video above, you shouldn't be eating it.

Animals feel pain - but do they all?

Animals suffer because they feel pain, but is that the case of all animals? A question I have recently been exploring. To feel and understand pain we require a central nervous system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord and a complex network of neurons. So do any animals lack the ability to feel pain? Bivalves, consisting of clams, oysters, mussels and scallops, do not have a central nervous system, so therefore should not have the ability to feel pain. But why do they retract from touch? Surely that means they can feel pain? This response to touch is known as a reflex reaction. They have no conscious control of the action, it is an automatic response triggered from an external stimuli. The same way if you put your hand on a hot stove, you would immediately remove it before your brain had time to work out this was actually painful. So without their central nervous system this response does not mean they can feel pain.

But what impact does eating bivalves have on the environment? Surely sifting through the sea floor, dragging them up disrupts the environment? Most bivalves can now be efficiently farmed with little or no impact on the environment and can actually be of benefit in improving water quality by removing excess nutrients.

So should all vegetarians and vegans eat bivalves? It is a question under a lot of controversy. Some say that we simply haven't proven they can't feel pain, and it may still occur, but then surely the same goes for plants and fungi? If we went on the possibility that we simply haven't proven it, then plants would be inedible to us too. People also claim it is still an animal, and vegetarians don't eat animals. But then we are simply conforming to a 'label' we have been given. I don't eat animals because of the suffering they feel, not because my 'label' says I can't, so it looks like bivalves are on the menu for me!

This is a great article discussing vegans eating oysters, and in this forum people discuss their own opinions.

Oysters by Rubber Slippers in Italy

The question of eggs

Being a vegetarian, chicken eggs have always been part of my diet. Eggs are naturally produced by hens and without the fertilization from a rooster no development of young takes place, just like a woman going through menstruation releasing an egg.

Its the farming of hens to produce this egg that matters. Eggs from caged hens is cruelty at its worse. Stuffed into tiny cages their entire lives, they have their beaks painfully cut down, are given artificial feed and lighting, and then, after a short, brutal life, are sent off to be killed. So to me, free range has always been the answer. The freedom of a large barn, with the space to roam. Large open grasslands, with dust baths to enjoy. Tasty nutritional feed, living long and happy lives. What would be ethically wrong with that? No suffering here right? How wrong was I!

I have always sourced my eggs from the happy egg company. It advertises its hens in gorgeous open green areas, with plenty of space and freedom. But the reality is shocking. I discovered a video uncovering the truth behind these 'free-range' RSPCA inspected sites. The hens were not in cages, they had the space of a barn, but they were still crammed in tightly, no better off than in the cages. Many suffered from severe mites and were completely bald, while others had died from fighting between themselves. The 'green' spacious outside area was a swamp, that the birds just didn't use. Electric shocks had taken place to stop birds perching above feed trays. Then, even though chickens have a life expectancy of 5-10 years, they are slaughtered at 72 weeks old.

    So what happens to the males? If they are not needed where do they go? In these large chain companies most are disposed of at a day old. They are either gassed, which can lead to them gasping for breath, taking a couple of minutes to complete, or are macerated, simply being minced alive. They never even see the light of day. Eggs really do have a cruel hidden twist.   So does that mean no more eggs? No, it just means we need to research where our eggs come from more thoroughly. There is such a thing as free range, we just need to look more carefully for it. Chicken sanctuaries. Both hens and cockerels are rescued from this cruel environment and then given the freedom they deserve. The hens still produce eggs, and those eggs can be sold to us, the money going back to save more hens. Perhaps you could even rescue your own hens, give them the life they deserve and enjoy the treats they provide!   You can also look towards your small local farmers. They rear hens on pasture fields, with the freedom to come and go as they please. Many have cockerels roaming free alongside them. These are great places to look if you want to raise your own chickens as well, they provide eggs for hatching so you can take them home and rear your own chicken family. Just remember, its likely they may hatch as males, and it is your responsibility to look after them. Giving them away can result in them being used for cock fighting.   If you still cant bear the thought of these animals being used for our pleasure there are plenty of egg subsitutes available.    So what about caviar? Unfertilized fish eggs, a delicacy often seen in top nosh resturaunts. To produce caviar the fish have to be cut open, many still alive and are then just left to die. This is a delicacy I wont be eating! You can find an alternative vegan caviar, made from organic soy it is cheaper, and indistinguishable in taste and appearance from real caviar.  

Dairy dilemma

I have always consumed milk and cheese, they form a staple part of my diet, cows don't suffer from being milked and it forms a tasty part of our meal. Well how ignorant was I? The milk trade is possibly one of the most cruel there is.

Cows produce milk for their calves, just as we do for our babies, so what happens to these calves? They are removed from their mothers at birth, the females go on to become milk producers, the males have a similar fate to that of male chickens and are often shot at just days old for veal or are fattened up and raised for meat.

The conditions these animals live in is beyond disgusting. Cramped into tiny barns and hooked upto milking machines multiple times a day. The cows are impregnated every year to keep their milk flowing. They are often genetically manipulated to increase their milk flow. Cows have a life expectancy of up to 20 years, but after fulfilling their duty, they are slaughtered at under 5 years old. Goats milk is a smiliar story.   

  But this doesnt mean we have to rule out dairy altogether, cruelty free does exist, its just hard to find! Ahimsa milk is completely slaughter free, the cows, calves and bulls all live out full lives, in free ranging conditions fit for kings. Their milk does cost slightly more, but its worth it to ensure they have a happy life.   There are plentry of dairy alternatives now available to us. The Alpro brand is now common place in our supermarkets, from milk, to yoghurts, desserts and even cream, we can swap our common day dairy items to the cruelty free versions.   But what about cheese? One of the most common ingredients in a vegetarian lifestyle. Well vegan cheese does exist, and its not just one rubbery boring lump. Bute Island have created sheese and do a whole range of varieties, from blue style and edam, to creamy with herbs, there is something to satisfy everyones tastes. Now also available in tesco.  

Making the change 

Cruelty free eating is the only way forward in my eyes, only ever purchasing milk and eggs from slaughter free locations. I will also attempt to always use alternatives to dairy and eggs, so what does that mean? Goodbye chocolate, goodbye tasty egg pasta, goodbye dominos pizza! All some of my favourites, it will be a hard road, but I want to start slow. I will dedicate one day a week to eating without dairy and eggs, and hopefully slowly increase this until I can completely remove it from my life apart from the slaughter free eggs and milk. Animal aid offers some great advice in going dairy free.

  But what about eating out? Its already a challenge being a vegetarian, simply trying to find a pub that serves vegetarian alcohol is difficult enough. When I told my avid meat eating boyfriend he almost hit the roof, whilst he respects and understands my opinions it means enjoying a meal out would be impossible. It would even mean popcorn at the cinema is off limits.   Vegan and cruelty free options do exist though. The Karma Free Pizza Company uses slaughter free cheese on their pizzas. I have eaten at the Garden Cafe, local to me in Frome it has simply divine food, all vegetarian and plenty of vegan. Even if we go to a meat eating resturaunt there are still options available, a leafy green salad, potatoes and veg, and almost everywhere does chips! It may not be the luxuries we once knew, but its worth it to boycott the suffering, and with many resturaunts these days understanding the change in trend it wont be long before vegan is on every menu.   Staying away from home is still possible too with dedicated vegan run hotels, such as Bay Tree House.  We all know how hard it is when eating abroad as a vegetarian, but does that mean its off limits now as a vegan? Nope, plenty of destination have a predomininently veggie way of life, and companies like vegiventures specialise in veggie holidays.    Its not all been bad news though, my findings mean I can now indulge in a bit of scrumpscious bivalve, although I'm not sure how my body will react having never eaten it before!    So where does this leave me? No cruelty produced milk and cheese? Am I vegan? No, vegans are 'labelled' as never eating any animals or by-products from them. How about vegetarian? Nope, I will no longer be able to claim to be veggie, eating bivalves are animals, and being vegetarian does not condone the eating of animals. Pescetarian then? Still no, whilst the label of pescetarian allows the eating of bivavles I will never eat fish. I no longer conform to any of these labels, instead in my eyes I will simply become a cruelty free, slaughter free, compassionate eater.  

 Photo by Phae

Great links:   Good Food Nation - An excellent source of both slaughter free eggs and milk.   Viva - Vegetarians International Voice for Animals    Vegan Village - A great place to find links to veggie and vegan stores    Veggie stuff - Great range of vegan products   Excellent vegan recipe sites: Dairy Free Dream Veganlovlie   Chocolate and beyond  Vegan Magic  Chocolate Covered Katie